Critique my first business card and logo

[AHumbleTech]

A graphic designer acquaintance of mine offered to create a logo and card for my new business. What do you guys think?

The first set is the colors he felt worked best and the second set is my own doing which he felt might be a little too overpowering. Which one do you guys like better and what would you change?

The tagline on the back of the card is a quick one he came up with and I'm not sure if I like it. His intention was for it to mean that I am the "they" when people say things like "Did you hear that they figured out how to make computers give people swedish massages?" etc. He felt that it would illicit a lot of questions from people which could in turn lead to conversations about my services and business. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Oh, and what do you think of the name I went with? Thanks, everyone.

 

[RichmondTech]

I think that if you're presenting business card mockups but you're asking for opinions about your name then you might be going through the process a little backwards.

Not a fan of any of it, but that's just me.

Points for not having "geek" or "nerd" anywhere on your card.

 

[16k_zx81]

I like the aesthetic. Prefer the grey and green to the red and green.

"Computer Solutionist" leaves me a bit dumfounded

Basically you dont want any WTF moments in your advertising copy. Surprises are fine as long as they impel action, but Im not sure that "solutionist" is going to have any resonance with the average end-user. It just made me scratch my head.

"I am they" had the same result.

Kudos for going for distinctiveness and originality - Im all in favour of this. However too much WTF and not enough information to be as effective as it otherwise could IMO

So, yes to the grey - and just a little less ???? in the copy and I think you will have a killer card. It really is a nice design apart from the odd wording.

The other thought that comes to mind - call me a traditionalist if you like - is that the card is missing basic information about what you do. Personally, I think if one guy hands another guy a business card, the other guy should be able to pick the card up, read it, and be sure that the service he wants will be available. Ambiguity in wording (or lack of) may not by conducive to getting the phone call. Im not saying its a deal-killer, but its a double-sided card, so why not use some of the space to sell your services? - the extra text isnt going to cost you anything

 

[seedubya]

I like the name. "I am They" doesn't work, I think. More likely to incide paranoia than confidence.

 

[RichmondTech]

I like the aesthetic. Prefer the grey and green to the red and green.

"Computer Solutionist" leaves me a bit dumfounded

Basically you dont want any WTF moments in your advertising copy. Surprises are fine as long as they impel action, but Im not sure that "solutionist" is going to have any resonance with the average end-user. It just made me scratch my head.

"I am they" had the same result.

Kudos for going for distinctiveness and originality - Im all in favour of this. However too much WTF and not enough information to be as effective as it otherwise could IMO

So, yes to the grey - and just a little less ???? in the copy and I think you will have a killer card. It really is a nice design apart from the odd wording.

The other thought that comes to mind - call me a traditionalist if you like - is that the card is missing basic information about what you do. Personally, I think if one guy hands another guy a business card, the other guy should be able to pick the card up, read it, and be sure that the service he wants will be available. Ambiguity in wording (or lack of) may not by conducive to getting the phone call. Im not saying its a deal-killer, but its a double-sided card, so why not use some of the space to sell your services? - the extra text isnt going to cost you anything

I knew someone was going to come along and save me a lot of typing.

 

[AHumbleTech]

This is the mockup that the designer gave me and I'm honestly not completely pleased with it. I don't like the red/green combo and I don't really like the ambiguity.

I wanted the name to be "The Computer Solutionist", but he felt pretty strongly that dropping the "the" was the way to go. I feel that without it, it doesn't really work. The word solutionist isn't immidietly recognizeable in and of itself. Even so, I think that anybody who read "the computer solutionist" on a business card would understand exactly what the word meant and be able to say "Oh. This guy solves computer problems."

I also asked the designer about the absence of a description of my services. I thought that having a couple quick points about the kinds of services I offered was a good idea, but he said that would make it look too small business-y. I still think it should have some description or at least a tagline which describes what I do.

I think the name might be able to work as either "The Computer Solutionist" or maybe "Computer Solutionists". Do you like that any better or still think it's lacking? I've been through a billion names and they have all been used by somebody out there doing computer repair or IT services. I just want something that stands out.

 

[AHumbleTech]

I like the name. "I am They" doesn't work, I think. More likely to incide paranoia than confidence.

That was my first thought when he showed me the mockup lol. In today's world, I hear "They screwed me over!" or "They don't know what the hell they're talking about!" a lot more than I hear anything positive about this mysterious "they".

 

[holeshotelectronics]

I like the green design but defiantly change your name. even with "the" added it sounds horrible. You want something the customer isnt going to stumble on when they try to repeat it. also leave the "i am they" out also, yes its catchy but not for a business card. customer is going to read it and say wtf this guy doesn't even make sense on his business card why would i trust with my computer????? you can put it on a website or even a brochure because at-least then you can explain it better.
I would also suggest putting at-least some services on the back or its kinda pointless and a waste of ink to have a 2 sided card with no information on the back